Kaelan crossed to the hearth and knelt to build a fire. Bria watched him in silence. The familiar movements should have reassured her, yet they only sharpened the questions crowding her thoughts.
She could still see the beast and could still hear its roar. She could still remember the strange emptiness leaving her the moment it appeared and returning when it vanished.
The fire caught quickly, spreading a warm light throughout the cottage.
Kaelan remained crouched at the hearth a moment longer than necessary.
She was tempted to lay her hand on his shoulder to feel what he was feeling but that would not be right. A comfort healer did not touch or feel without permission. And she didn’t know if it mattered since she had come to know Kaelan well.
She had seen for herself that he feared little but if it weighed heavily enough then he approached it like a warrior prepared for battle, a twinge of fear and a preponderance of courage.
He finally rose and settled beside her on the bench near the hearth. He sat close enough that their arms touched. Close enough that she was acutely aware of every movement he made.
For a long moment neither spoke.
Then Kaelan said, “The Thornek Tribe is a respected tribe of warriors.”
Bria remained quiet, sensing immediately that he needed to find his own path through whatever he intended to reveal.
“Fierce warriors and feared warriors.”
That last part surprised her.
“Feared?” she asked.
A faint smile touched his mouth, though there was little humor in it.
“Not without reason.”
Bria studied him carefully. His gaze remained fixed on the fire. Not once had he looked at her.
“We fight battles most would avoid. We track what others cannot find. We protect our villages, our people, our king.” His expression softened slightly. “Family is everything to us and always has been.”
Bria found herself smiling faintly. “That part I already believe.”
Kaelan finally glanced at her and the warmth in his eyes nearly stole her breath.
“Aye,” he said quietly. “There isn’t anything we won’t do to protect our family.”
Silence settled briefly before he continued.
“When I was a boy, my grandfather used to tell me the oldest Thornek legend.”
Bria settled more comfortably beside him. “What sort of legend?”
“The kind meant to warn and teach at the same time.” His gaze drifted back to the fire. “He said there was a time when something terrible stalked the northern forests. Villages disappeared. Hunters vanished. Entire families feared venturing beyond their doors after dark.”
Bria listened while the fire crackled softly between them.
“No warrior could stop it. No hunter could track it.”
“What was it?” she asked, though she believed she knew the answer.
Kaelan turned the question over for a moment before answering. “Some believed it was a beast. Others claimed it was a spirit born from the wild places of the world.”
“And what did your grandfather believe?”
A slow smile touched his mouth. “He claimed the truth mattered far less than what happened next.”
